Music-staff



J. K. KIRN.

MUSIC STAFF. APPLICATION man Nov. 20, 1 9 1 9.

Patented Mar. 29, 1921.

A 4 ace: 2

momma UNITED STAT-Eis- P T N' *OFFI'QCE.

JACOB KELLER KIRN, on LANCASTER, 01110.

I Music-swans.

To all whom it may concern:

"B'eit known that I, JAooB KELLER KIRN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lancaster, in the county of Fairfield and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Music-Staffs, of which the following is a specification.

This inventionrelates to improvements in musical score or composition and has for its primary object to provide an improved system of publishing music to facilitate quicker and more convenient reading of such notes as appear above or below the original staffs. v

Another object is to so distinguish certain of the leger lines above andbelow the original staff lines that supplementary staffs are provided, the five lines of which are readily discernible by the distinguishing characteristics of the top and bottom lines, thus facilitating reading or distinguishing the notes above or below the original staff.

Another object is the utilization of short individual leger lines for each note, conforming to the usual or conventional mode of printing music which by long experience; has proven to be the most conveniently readable mode of indicawing notes above and below the original stafi's.

lVith these and other objects in view as will appear as the description proceeds, the invention comprises the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully apparent from the following description and then pointed out in the claim hereunto appended.

Figure 1 shows the usual treble and bass staffs disclosing the invention.

Figs. 2 and 3 represent extracts from musical compositions illustrating the invention as applied thereto. 7

Referring to the drawing in detail, wherein similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views the numerals 5 indicate the five lines of the usual treble stafi having the indicating character at the left terminal of the lines, and the numerals 6 indicate the five lines of the bass stafi which are also identified by the usual clef at the left terminals of the lines.

According to the long established prin- V ciple of musical notation, the first line below .Sp ecificationlof Letters Patent.

such notes below the treble staff as are actually located in the bass staff; To this end the emphasized or distinguished lines designated by numeral 1, which are next to the top and bottom lines of the staff, are readily discernible so that the relative positions of the notes thereon are easily determined.

To indicate notes not embraced or capable of representation on the original five lines of the treble staff 5, the usual short leger lines are provided, which as will be found by reference to Fig. 1 are located above the original five lines of the treble staff 5.

In carrying out my. invention the third and seventh leger lines 2 above the original staff lines 5 are heavier than the other lines in order that they may be readily distinguished and these heavy distinguishing leger lines indicate the bottom and top lines of a supplementary treble stafl' comprising the usual five lines which materially assist the reader in recognizing the position of the notes. The first heavy line of the supplementary staff which, in reality, is the third leger line above the original treble stafi, represents E in the musical scale and it is readily apparent to a reader that a note placed on this line occupies the same position with relation to the lines of the supplementary staff as the note E on the bottom line of the original staff, consequently, the reader is assisted in quickly determining the notes. For instance a musician although thoroughly experienced in reading music would invariably find it diflicult in reading a note nine leger linesabove the original staff lines, as suggested at the left of Fig. 1 but with the assistance afforded by the heavy distinguishing leger lines indicating the supplementary staff as suggested in the drawing the reader is capable of quickly recognizing the note as C, on that second line above the added treble clef, three octavesabove middle C.

Likewise such notes as appear above the first leger line or middle C above the bass stafl are, in reality, located on the treble staff and accordingly I have emphasized or Patented Mar. 29, 1921. Application filed November 20,1919. seiiainassasev.

distinguished the ]ines.3 next to the top and bottom lines ofthe 'treble staff constituted leger lines coming upfrom the bass. I

The leger lines appearing below the fire original lines ofthe bass'staff-are' also properly distinguished to represent a supplestaflf are placed in corresponding position to similar-notesin the main bass stafif, ac-

cordingly facilitating reading of such notes a a r b l W t f Iclaim:' I v The combinat I ion with 'an'ordinary trebleand bass stafi'," comparatively short leger lines disposed above and below the treble I staff s for the next higher or lower octaves, shortdistinguishing and characterized leger lines in the represented stafis corresponding to the first and fifth lines of the ordinary v V, V In testimony whereof, I aiiix my signature hereto ,7 I r 7 JACOBKELLERKIRN.

and bass staif, representing supplementary 

